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Assignment overview

Option 1: Research Presentation

  • 10 slides (30 seconds each) focused on a topic related to conflicts or tensions in urban contexts.

  • Content must include:

    • Clear research inquiry guiding your presentation

    • Description of the urban conflict and its significance

    • Critical complexities related to the issue

    • Integration of course material, external research, and evidence

    • Possible interventions or solutions

  • Sources: Minimum 5 credible sources, with at least 3 scholarly.

Option 2: Participatory Action with Reflection Presentation

  • 7 slides (30 seconds each) based on your volunteering experience related to a course theme.

  • Content must include:

    • Description of your volunteering experience and objectives

    • Motivation behind your choice of volunteering activity

    • Community impact and significance of your participation

    • Connection to course materials and themes

    • Scholarly sources to contextualize your reflection

  • Sources: Minimum 3 credible sources, with at least 2 scholarly. Proof of volunteering required.

Research question development

Some ways to narrow a topic:

  • Place (geography, location, setting, etc.)

  • Population (Age, demographic, etc.)

  • Timeframe (year, decade, etc.)

  • Relevant issue or challenge (eg. difficulty finding work, learning disability, etc.)

Evaluating information

Image of a radar dish at night against a sky with stars

Photo by Alec Favale on Unsplash

What is RADAR?

The RADAR system helps us check if the information is credible and reliable.

Relevance Is the information about your topic? Does it help answer your question? Make sure it is useful for what you need.
Authority Who wrote the information? Are they experts? Check if the author or organization is trustworthy.
Date When was the information written? Is it current or old? Sometimes you need the latest info, and other times older information is okay.
Accuracy Is the information correct? Are there mistakes? Does it have sources or evidence to support it?
Reason Why was this information written? Is it to inform, sell, entertain, or persuade you? Knowing the reason can help you understand if it is biased or fair.

Check the Political Bias of an Online Newspaper

Media bias-checking tools like AllSides.com and MediaBiasFactCheck.com help readers understand potential political bias in news sources. Here's how to use these tools effectively:

AllSides.com Features:

  • Navigate to the "News Sources" tab
  • Search for specific news outlets
  • View bias ratings (Left, Center, or Right)

MediaBiasFactCheck.com Features:

  • Use the search function to find publications
  • Review detailed bias analysis reports
  • Check factual reporting ratings

Locating scholarly sources

*See the Articles tab of the General Education guide to access the LibrarySearch and other scholarly databases.


Search tips

Less is more: Start simply with one or two keywords, then gradually add more terms as needed.

  • conflict
  • conflict urban

Search phrases: Use "quotation marks" to search for exact phrases, especially useful when terms commonly appear together.

  • "food insecurity"

Search different word endings: Use an asterisk (*) to capture variations of your keywords.

  • gentrif* = gentrify, gentrified, gentrification
  • hous* = house, housing, houses, household

Use limits: Refine (narrow) your search by adding restrictions such as:

  • Date (last 10 years)
  • Peer-reviewed articles

You can combine these strategies for precise searches:

  • "food insecurity" Calgary urban*

Librarian

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Erik Christiansen

Contact:
Email: echristiansen@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.5168
Office: EL4423C
Website